We have a nursery equipped with a digital flat screen
television broadcasting all services live, for children four and
under.

All articles by the pastor
unless otherwise noted.

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services—click here.

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SUNDAY’S
READING IN PROVERBS

Proverbs 11: 3: The
integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of
transgressors shall destroy them.

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Proverbs 1: 7: The fear
of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge:…

Many things can be said about this statement without coming close to
exhausting its importance.But one
reason this is true is because the fear
the LORD is reverence for the LORD with child-like affection and
trust.When my son was seven, we were
walking to pick up his sister from school. He wanted to ride his bike.But his helmet was wet from the rain.I told him it was wet. Then I held it out and
let him feel it.About a block later, he
said, “Daddy, you did not have to let me
feel the helmet, I believe whatever you tell me.”Fear of the LORD is reverence for the LORD
with a child’s affection and trust, convinced that the LORD will only do for
you what is wise and good.When we fear
the Lord, God is, himself, knowledge unto us.Then it is by him that we filter all other knowledge to discern whether
it is true or false, good or evil, beneficial or harmful. Many more reasons can
be given.But the first and the chief
thing in attaining knowledge is the fear of the Lord.

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The Lord Jesus used the wind to declare that the Holy Spirit is irresistible
over man’s will in the new birth, “the
wind bloweth where it [will]…so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.”
(Jn 3: 8) Those who preach that man has a free will say God would not violate
man’s will to save us. Considering these
two teachers, it is wiser to trust God over depraved men.But beyond that, which act of God in creation
does not violate man’s will?Rain, snow,
hail, and drought do.The forms they
come in do: hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis.Fact is, God violates man’s will every day. God
does as he will in heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can
stop his hand. (Dan 4:35) The only ones unhappy that God does so in salvation are
those who want to attribute salvation to their will.The rest rejoice that God says, “as the rain cometh down, and the snow from
heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring
forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So
shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me
void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto I sent it.” (Is 55: 10-11)

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INCLINE THINE EAR AND
APPLY THINE HEART

Proverbs 2: 1: My son, if thou wilt receive my
words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2: So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply
thine heart to understanding; 3:
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for
understanding; 4: If thou horough
her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5: Then shalt thou understand the fear
of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6: For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh
knowledge and understanding.

As I behold our children
growing older time becomes more precious to me.I am reminded that I have a short time to teach you the gospel of
Christ!The world is waiting to swallow
you up.The young think they have plenty
of time to prepare for eternity. But no one has guarantee of tomorrow. In the
time it takes to take our last breathe those without Christ can come into
judgment, with no righteousness in which to stand, before God who is angry with
the wicked every day. (Ps 7: 11) God says that if you incline your ear to hear the
gospel of Christ preached from his word and apply your heart in studying and
seeking Christ like you would seek treasure, God promises to give you an
understanding of the fear of the LORD and knowledge of God.

Read Provers 1: 1-4.Christ declares that through the preaching of
his word, God makes us know Wisdom. (1 Cor 1: 24, 30)Christ is that Wisdom who
gives “instruction” (correction), turning
us from the vain ways of our imagination to Christ the Way and the Truth.Through the preaching and study of God’s
word the Holy Spirit makes us “perceive
the words of understanding,”(1
Cor 2: 6-10), revealing the
mystery of the gospel to us that even the princes of this world do not
know.

With Christ as our Wisdom we
receive the very best understanding: “the
instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity.”The message of God’s word is God’s “wisdom” in establishing “the justice (righteousness) of God.” (Rom 3: 19-31) Christ alone is
that Righteousness who fulfilled God’s law for his people. He established “judgment” (justice) so that by the
finished work of Christ, God is just and equitable
(right) to shower the believer in mercy.

Through the preaching and
study of the word Christ is able “to give
subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.”He makes the new believer know what is
true and false for every situation in life.He gives the young believer the highest
wisdom, knowledge and instruction that can be given.The apostle Paul was probably paraphrasing
our text when he told young Timothy, “And
that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make
thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God
may be perfect, horoughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim 3: 15-17)

To every young person who
reads this I ask, “Will you hear this word and do it?”Let nothing stop you from coming to hear the
word of God preached. Then go home and make time to study what you heard in the
scriptures. God makes good on all his promises.You will have found the greatest of all treasures if you are one who God
makes to “understand the fear of the
LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

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A WISE MAN OR A FOOL?

Proverbs 1:5: A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of
understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of
the wise, and their dark sayings. 7: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

God says the person who heeds this simple instruction is a wise man, “A wise man will hear.”Are
you wise? Then you will read this and give yourself to diligently hear God’s
gospel preached and study what you have heard.

God promises the wise—“will increase learning.”God who made him wise to seek Christ in
the first place, will not only reveal Christ to him, but will also make him
increase more in learning of Christ. Listen to God’s promise, “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour
out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” (Pro 1: 23)

God promises “a man of understanding shall attain unto
wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of
the wise, and their dark sayings.”One,
it means he will ask those who God has already made wise by this word and they
will give him the interpretation of a passage.Most young people in our congregation have parents whom God has taught
the gospel. You are surrounded by believers who are more than willing to help
you understand the scriptures. Your pastor would be delighted to help you!God says, “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of
thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains
about thy neck.” (Pro 1: 8-9)

Two, it means God will make
him attain to all the counsels (all
the teachings and truths) that make up the
whole counsel of God (the gospel of Christ.) God shall teach the wise man
every branch of doctrine which makes up the one true gospel of our Redeemer. The wise man shall be taught that he is a depraved sinner entirely dependent upon
God to save him in Christ. He will attain the doctrine of election which declares that God elected his people in
Christ before the world was made. The Spirit of God will teach him that God predestinated his people to the adoption
of children to be conformed to the image of his Son.He will be taught particular redemption which declares that Christ laid down his life
for his elect, accomplishing eternal redemption for us by his one offering on
the cross. He will be taught Christ is his Holiness
who has been formed within him so that Christ is his ever-present to keep
him from the evil.All the counsels of
doctrine that make up the one counsel of the gospel shall be taught him.If you are this wise man you will also be
taught the counsel of irresistible grace
so that you will look back on the day you first began to incline your ear and
apply your heart and you will know it was the Spirit of God who madeyou do so and you will give him all the
glory.

Yet, opposite the wise man,
is the fool. He despises this wisdom and instruction.Imagine a billionaire writes a book which
contains the way to his hidden treasure. The treasure is for any who come the
way the man instructs in his book. What else could you call the man who refuses
to even pick up the book but a fool!To
the fool God gives a warning in Proverbs 1: 24-32. Every one of us should read
it and tremble.